to prison and to death. When Jesus was
actually in the hands of the armed men,
where were the boastful disciples?—
They had fled. Even Peter was in the
rear, far from his suffering Lord. When
the cruel trial began in the judgment
hall, had Jesus a defender in the ardent
Peter? Was he then by the side of his
deserted Lord?—No, but with those who
were mocking and reviling. It is true
that Peter had a deep interest in the
trial, and he did desire to be at the side
of his Lord; but he could not endure the
scorn, the reproach, that would fall upon
him if he should take his place as a dis-
ciple of Christ. When one of the women
of the palace said to Peter, "Thou also
wast with Jesus of Galilee," he denied
before all the company, saying, "I know
not what thou sayest." He who had
made so confident a statement of his
fidelity to Christ, now denied his Lord
at the question of a maid in the palace.
Did he now move nearer to his Lord?
—No, he pushed his way out to the
porch, seeking to escape the prying
eyes of the enemies of his Lord; but
again he was recognized, and another
said to him, "This fellow was also with
Jesus of Nazareth." And again he de-
nied with an oath, "I do not know the
man." Peter was irritated that he could
not find an escape from the eyes of his
enemies; he returned again to the hall,
where he could better view the trial, but
he stood among the mockers and re-
vilers of Christ, and the third time he
was recognized, and they said to him,
"Surely thou also art one of them; for
thy speech betrayeth thee." Peter had
been ready to take up arms in defense
of Christ, but to acknowledge the Lord
when he was the object of scorn and
derision, was more than he had cour-
age to do. He was a moral coward, and
with curses and oaths he denied that
he knew his Master.
Peter had been warned of this temp-
tation; but he did not realize his danger,
and therefore had not prepared himself
for the trial. He had been filled with self-
confidence, and deemed that he was
able to withstand any temptation, assur-
ing the Lord that though all others
should be offended, he would be .ready
to go with him to prison and to death.
When he took his stand with the revilers
of Christ, he placed himself on the
enemy's ground, and he fell. At his third
denial of his Lord the cock crew, and
Jesus turned his eyes upon Peter with
a look of peculiar sadness, and the
words that Christ had spoken to him
came quickly to his mind. All through
his life the memory of that look was
with Peter. His sinful boasting, his Lord's
warning, his denial of the Saviour, all
came to him like a flash of lightning;
and casting one pitiful look upon his
suffering, insulted Lord, he hurried away
from the sound of false accusation and
reproach, rushed from the palace,
plunged into the darkness, and weeping
bitterly, hurried to Gethsemane. He be-
gan to see himself as he really was.
Memory was alive, and his sins were
pictured before him in all their heinous
light. Peter threw himself on the spot
where a few hours before, Jesus had
prayed and wept in agony, and there the
disciple prayed as he never before had
prayed. With deep repentance and ter-
rible remorse he pleaded for forgive-
ness, and he rose a converted man; but
he felt that although Jesus would for-
give him, he could never forgive himself.
Jesus knew all the sorrow and re-
morse of his erring disciple, and when
the heavenly messengers appeared to
the women at the sepulcher, they told
them of Christ's resurrection, and bade
them tell the disciples and Peter, that
he went before them into Galilee. How
eagerly did Peter receive this word of
love and compassion! He knew that his
Lord still thought of him, still loved him,
and he took this message as a sign of
forgiveness.
After his resurrection, Jesus showed
himself to his disciples at the sea of
Tiberias; "and on this wise showed he
himself. There were together Simon
Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and
Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the
sons of Zebedee, and two other of his
disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them,
I go a fishing. They say unto him, We
also go with thee. They went forth, and
entered into a ship immediately; and
that night they caught nothing. But when
the morning was now come, Jesus stood
on the shore; but the disciples knew not
that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto
them, Children, have ye any meat? They
answered him, No. And he said unto
them, Cast the net on the right side of
the ship, and ye shall find. They cast
therefore, and now they were not able
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